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Lowell court's egress is egregious

By Lisa Redmond, lredmond@lowellsun.com

Updated:
06/30/2014 08:15:05 AM EDT

The temporary exit from the second floor of Lowell Superior Court consists of a three-level metal staircase, with wooden planks on the top to act as a platform. The staircase is encaged in what looks like scaffolding. SUN/LISA REDMOND

LOWELL -- It looks like a contraption that was made for the game "Mouse Trap."

In the middle of the second-floor hallway in Lowell Superior Court, workers have erected a three-level metal staircase, with wooden planks on the top to act as a platform.

The metal staircase is encaged in what looks like scaffolding. The bottom is completely wrapped in orange plastic fencing to keep children off it.

The state Trial Court says it is a temporary solution to a long-standing problem of an emergency exit for the third-floor Probation Department. But courthouse staff quietly call it a monstrosity.

"The Trial Court's Facilities Management has been aware of the situation and is working to complete a study that will review options for providing a permanent second egress from the third-floor space,'' Trial Court spokeswoman Erika Gully Santiago said.

"The metal staircase was installed as a temporary measure to provide an additional means of exit to meet fire-code regulations,'' she added.

Although employees won't comment publicly, most who have passed by since it was erected last weekend look and laugh.

But it was no laughing matter to newly hired Trial Court Administrator Harry Spence, who toured Lowell Superior and Lowell District courts in October and noted the deplorable conditions of the two courthouses.

Testifying before the House Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets shortly after his courthouse tour, Spence said Lowell Superior Court has worn out its welcome as a courthouse.

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The courthouse, which is more than 100 years old and is famous for the Daniel Webster Courtroom, only recently added an elevator to satisfy some of the handicapped-access concerns. But that elevator only goes to two of the courthouse's three floors. The Probation Department's third floor office is not handicapped-accessible.

The main access to the Probation Department's third-floor, balcony location is up a narrow wooden staircase.

Until last weekend, the only other means of egress from the Probation Department were rope stairs that could be tossed over the balcony in case of emergency.

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